Electrically adjustable vehicle accessory

ABSTRACT

An assembly, specifically a mirror assembly for a motor vehicle, in part angularly adjustable by an electric motor and drive mechanism. A fixed motor drives a worm that is angularly movable through a flexible coupling into selective engagement with one of two nuts to drive adjusting screws that cause a mirror element to pivot about one of two mutually perpendicular axes. The screws and pivot structure for the mirror are integrally formed as part of a mirror supporting plate. The nuts are yieldably coupled to the threads of the adjusting screws to permit slippage between the two when forces exceed the wormed driving force. Operating noise is reduce by vibration-damping motor mounting and by structure limiting worm engagement with the nuts. Projections are carried by the mirror supporting plate resiliently biased against a fixed support to reduce vibration.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a motor vehicle accessory, and moreparticularly a rear view mirror, angularly adjustable by an electricallydriven motor.

2. Prior Art

Rear view mirrors mounted outside a motor vehicle and adjustable frominside the vehicle are known and the advantages are well recognized. Thedesirability of controlling the adjustment through an electric motor andtransmission located within the mirror housing are also recognized andvarious structures have been proposed in the art for motor operatedmirrors. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,609,014.

As shown by the above mentioned patent, it has been proposed to adjust acentrally pivoted mirror about horizontal and vertical axes using screwsconnected with the back of the pivoted mirror, and advanced or retractedby rotatable nuts, driven either by separate motors and worms or by asingle motor and worm pivoted at the opposite end of the motor toselectively engage one or the other nuts.

As a further example of known systems for electrically adjustingmirrors, the assignee of this application has previously considered anelectrically operable mirror similar to that described above using asingle electric motor centrally pivoted to engage a worm driven by themotor with one of two rotary nuts to adjust lead screws connected to apivoted mirror.

The known structures as exemplified above have the disadvantage ofrequiring relatively expensive mirror supporting plate structure andconnections for pivoting and adjusting the mirror relative to a fixedsupport. The use of a separate electric motor for each screw is, ofcourse, expensive and bulky. A single electric motor pivoted at one endis subjected to inertia forces of the vehicle, which affect theengagement of the drive members. Even where the motor is centrallypivoted, the entire mass of the motor must be swung or pivoted to changeengagement of the drive between one rotary nut and the other, and themotor mount of necessity is not firm.

Typically, operation of such motor driven mirrors has been noisy.Analysis has shown the noise is generated from drive motor vibration andover engagement between the worm drive and the worm wheel teeth of therotary nuts. Additional noise is generated and a certain degree ofbinding between the nuts and the adjusting screws is created in priorart arrangements, because the typical universal ball type connectionbetween the adjusting screws and the mirror backing, does not fullyadjust to maintain accurate axial alignment between the screws and nuts.This can become troublesome at the extremes of the adjustment range.

Also, previous constructions, having a central pivot for the mirrorbackplate, have typically utilized a number of parts in forming a firmbut pivotal connection to a fixed support, including ball and clampingsockets and spring tensioning devices, which require undesirableassembly time in manufacture and which do not always functionsatisfactorily.

One problem in the use of motor adjusted mirrors has been that themirrors are sometimes subjected to external forces, for example, throughattempts to adjust the mirror angle by hand. In the absence of someaccommodation for such forces, the drive mechanism is likely to becomedamaged in use. Further, in the event the mirror element should berestrained against movement when the adjusting motor is operated, as bysnow or ice, between the housing and mirror, the motor in the typicaldrive arrangement will be stalled and possibly damaged.

A further problem with adjustable external mirrors is that the mirrortends to vibrate relative to the housing, because of the single centerpivot support and the use of only two points of support at theadjustment screws, which are generally located quite centrally of themirror where the housing has the most depth to accommodate the adjustingmechanism and where the extent of axial movement of the adjusting screwsis minimized for a given annular adjustment. A "nervous image" resultsfrom this vibration, and viewing through the mirror is difficult.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is the object of the present invention to overcome the abovedisadvantages and provide an angularly adjustable, electricallycontrolled, motor vehicle accessory, particularly a rear view mirror,that is compact, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, that permitsangular adjustment about two perpendicular axes utilizing a singlestationary electric motor, that is quiet in operation, that is notdamaged by manual adjustment, and which is substantially vibration-freein use. The present invention incorporates a number of novel featureswhich combine to achieve such desiderata.

In the preferred embodiment of this invention, a mirror element isconnected for universal pivoting to a support, such as a mirror housing,secured to an automotive vehicle. The connection is preferably by way ofa backing member on the mirror that is secured to an inner support, suchas a housing or casing carried within the outer mirror housing and whichalso serves as a mount for an electric motor and drive transmission,which operate to pivot the mirror. The drive transmission includesadjustment screws connected to the mirror, rotatable nuts in the casingthat engage and move the adjustment screws to tilt and locate themirror, a worm driven by the electric motor for rotating the nuts, and asolenoid operated control member for selectively engaging the worm withone nut or the other.

A one-piece backplate is used, in preference to any other, that providesuniversal pivoting through integral molded hinges and which incorporatesintegral screws for adjustment of the mirror angle about the pivothinges. The adjustment screws extend from the backplate and arethemselves supported for universal pivoting so that their direction ofextent can remain substantially the same during angular adjustment ofthe mirror. The base of each integral screw is constructed so that itcan move in the plane of the backplate, facilitating a swinging movementof the entire screw without changing its angle, which is necessary ifaccurate alignment is to be maintained during angular adjustment of themirror, especially at extreme limits of angular adjustment. This singlepiece construction results in substantially reduced costs, provides amore reliable central pivot connection for the mirror element withoutthe need for clamps or spring tensioning, and provides an adjustingmechanism that more accurately maintains alignment of the screws withthe axis of the drive nuts and, hence, is more quiet in operation.Preferably, the backplate is injection molded of synthetic resin, forexample, a polyester material.

The adjustment screws of the backplate are driven in axial directions byrotated nuts threadedly engaged with the screws through a yieldablemedium. Advantageously, the threads of the nuts are carried on movableinserts yieldably biased into engagement with the associated screw andmovable out of engagement in response to excessive force created betweenthe screw and nut, as where a manual adjustment of the mirror isattempted or if mirror movement is obstructed while the motor is drivinga nut. This avoids damage to the motor or drive system. In a preferredembodiment the inserts also serve to eliminate play between each screwand nut to reduce mirror vibration in use and to aid in maintaining aprecise adjusted position of the mirror. In an alternative embodimentflexible bristles are used for providing a yieldable interconnectionwith the screw threads.

A single electric motor and a motor driven worm selectively rotate thenuts, which have external worm wheel teeth engageable by the worm, todrive the adjustment screws. The electric motor is mounted in astationary position within the casing and mirror housing, which isolatesit from inertial forces that otherwise might disengage the worm and nut.It further permits the motor to be effectively insulated to inhibittransmission of motor induced vibrations to the motor support, whichwould produce excessive noise. From the standpoint of consumeracceptance, quiet operation is an important consideration.

The worm is attached to and extends directly from the motor shaft.Selective engagement of the worm, with one of the nuts, is obtainedthrough a flexible coupling between the worm and motor shaft and througha control member connected to the worm. Movement of the control memberin one direction or another flexes the coupling and pivots the worm,selectively engaging the worm with either of two drive nuts. Preferably,the control member also pivots between these two selected positions andis operated by a solenoid. The control member advantageously takes theform of a pivoted frame or box that extends along the worm and isconnected to the extending end of the worm. Portions of the box or framelimit the extent of engagement of the worm with the worm wheel teeth ofeither nut, eliminating the vibration and noise that is otherwiseoccasioned when the crest of the worm helix rubs against the root of theworm wheel teeth.

A novel worm of unitary construction is utilized which incorporates aflexible coupling that permits a change in angular relationship of theworm relative to the motor shaft while permitting rotation about thecentral worm axis. The coupling resists yielding in the axial directionof the worm, which would hamper transmission of force between the wormand worm gear teeth on the rotary nuts. Advantageously, an attachmentsleeve portion of the worm fits over the motor drive shaft and istelescoped within a tubular portion that carries the worm helix, therebysubstantially shortening the overall worm length without reducing thelength of the helix of the attachment sleeve.

Vibration of the mirror element relative to the support, as normallyinduced by vehicle operation, is damped by elements carried by themirror mounting plate, adjacent the mirror perimeter. These elements areyieldably biased into sliding frictional engagement with a fixed portionof the housing support and serve to stabilize the mirror in an adjustedposition. The elements may be made of spring wire with portions that actas torsion, springs, biasing extending portions against the surroundingmirror housing. Alternatively, plastic fingers can extend from themirror backing and be biased by separate springs into sliding contactwith the housing. In either event, it is important that the elements actwithout resiliency in the direction in which vibration is damped so thatthey most effectively eliminate the so-called "nervous image" thatoccurs with centrally supported mirrors that are subjected to vibration.

The above and other features and advantages of this invention willbecome more apparent from the detailed description that follows whenconsidered in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded, perspective, view of a preferred embodiment ofthe invention;

FIG. 2 is a view, partly in section and partly in elevation, showing themirror housing, motor and gear drive casing, and an adjustably supportedmirror;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view taken approximately along the planeindicated by the line 3--3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the motor and drive casing and adjustablemirror, with the housing shown in phantom;

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of one half of the motor casing and themirror drive mechanism housed therein;

FIG. 6 is a perspective detailed view of a control member for part ofthe mirror drive;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a worm forming a part of the mirrordrive;

FIG. 8 is an elevational view, with parts in section, of the worm ofFIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view, with parts cut away, of a drive nutforming part of the mirror drive;

FIG. 10 is a top view, partly in section and partly in plan, of themirror housing and mirror with parts removed, illustrating the manner inwhich vibration dampers cooperate with the housing as the mirror ispivoted;

FIG. 11 is a partial transverse sectional view through the casing anddrive nut, taken in the plane of line 11--11 of FIG. 5;

FIGS. 12-14 are partial sectional views of the drive nut of FIG. 11,taken through three radial passages, illustrating the relationship ofthreaded inserts of the nut with the adjustment screw and nut;

FIG. 15 is a transverse sectional view of a second embodiment of a drivenut;

FIG. 16 is a partial perspective detailed view of the hinge constructionof the backplate for mounting the mirror;

FIG. 17 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section of the motorcasing and mirror backplate connecting portions in separatedrelationship;

FIG. 18 is a transverse sectional view of the casing, illustrating themanner in which the electric motor of the mirror drive is mounted;

FIG. 19 is a diagrammatic view of an electric switch circuit foroperating the drive motor to adjust the mirror in angular relationshipto the housing; and

FIG. 20 is a partial detailed perspective view of a mounting for anadjusting screw illustrating the movements accommodated.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS General Description of Assembly

A remote controlled electric motor operated mirror assembly 20 is shownin FIGS. 1-4, embodying the present invention. The mirror finds use as arear view mirror for a motor vehicle and facilitates adjustment of thefield of vision reflected to the viewer using an operating switchlocated within the vehicle.

The assembly includes a mirror housing 22 secured in a stationaryposition to the outside of the vehicle, as by a conventional mountingfoot, bracket, or the like, not shown, which may be an integral part ofthe housing or be separately attached; a mirror element 24; a supportingbackplate 25 to which the mirror element is secured; a casing 28 that iswithin the housing 22 and that supports the mirror backplate for angularadjustment; and a mirror drive within the casing, including an electricmotor 30, a control solenoid assembly 31, and a drive transmission 32.

The mirror housing 22 is a metal casting with an open front 22a and ofsufficient depth and frontal area to house the casing 28 and mirrorelement and backplate and to allow tilting of the mirror through therange illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4. The housing provides a plurality ofmounting surfaces 33 internally, and threaded bores 34 opening throughthe mounting surfaces to receive screws for securing the casing 28.

The backplate 25 includes a fixed central portion 25a secured to thecasing and a surrounding portion 25b that is universally pivotable aboutthe central portion through an integral flexible connection. Twoadjusting members 35, 36 which are preferably screws extend rearwardlyfrom the surrounding portion 25b of the backplate, offset from thecentral pivot-forming portion. Each is located on one of two mutuallyperpendicular axes that pass through the center of the mirror and offsetfrom the other axis, so that movement of only one screw will tilt themirror about each axis. Each screw is separately driven in an axialdirection relative to the casing 28 and housing 22, by the electricmotor 30 and drive transmission 32, to cause the mirror element 24 totilt. Vibration dampers 38 are carried by the backplate 25, at spacedlocations on the surrounding portion 25b adjacent the perimeter of themirror element, and are biased into sliding contact with the insidesurface of the housing 22. The dampers 38 frictionally engage thehousing to stabilize the mirror and substantially eliminate mirrorvibration relative to the housing.

The casing 28 is conveniently formed in two halves, 28a, 28b suitably ofmolded plastic, supports the center of the mirror backplate in a snapfit connection (FIG. 17) at a fixed position, and serves to contain,support and fix the location of the motor 30, solenoid 31 and drivetransmission 32 relative to the housing.

The drive transmission 32 (FIGS. 1 and 5) housed by the casing includesa drive member 44, advantageously a worm; two rotatable driven members46, 47, advantageously worm driven nuts; and an electrically operatedcontrol member 49 that in the preferred embodiment takes the form of abox or frame-like structure, that controls the position of the drivemember through the operation of a solenoid. Openings 52, 53 (FIG. 3) inone half of the casing 28a and bosses in the other half of the casingone of which is shown at 56 in FIG. 11, journal the nuts 46, 47 forrotation and the casing itself restricts the axial movement of the nuts.The two circular openings 52, 53 and two aligned openings in the bosses,one of which is shown at 59 in FIG. 11, provide passages through thecasing for the adjusting screws 35, 36 permitting their axial movementrelative to the casing for mirror adjustment. The casing furtherprovides pivot support for the control member 49. Three externalmounting lugs 62 on the casing serve to secure the casing to the housingby screws 64 (FIG. 1) received in the threaded bores 34 of the mirrorhousing.

MIRROR BACKPLATE

The backplate 25 serves to support the mirror element 24, providing apivotal attachment to the mirror housing 22 through the casing 28, andcarries means driven relative to the support for pivoting the mirror andmeans to damp mirror vibration. Preferably, the backplate can beattached to its support through a snap fit for ease in assembly and topermit replacement without disassembly. It is formed of a flexiblematerial, such as a suitable polyester chosen for its lack of memory,and is preferably injection molded.

The backplate has a front surface 70 against which the mirror element issecured, as by cementing, and a back surface 72 that affords structurefor attaching the backplate to the support and from which the adjustingscrews 35, 36 extend. Preferably, the backplate is of a size and shapeidentical to that of the mirror element. As best shown in FIGS. 1 and16, the backplate is divided into a fixed central portion 25a, auniversally pivoted portion 25b, and an intermediate portion 25c that inpart forms the pivot. Peripheral portion 25b is separated from portion25c by slots 78, 79 through the thickness of the plate. The slots are onopposite sides of the center, and leave two narrow hinges 81, 82 onopposite sides of the center on a first axis A-1 that passes through thecenter of the backplate. The central fixed portion 25a is separated fromthe intermediate portion 25c by two slots 83, 84, on opposite sides ofthe center of the backplate that leave two narrow hinges 86, 87 onopposite sides of the center on second axis A-2 through the center ofthe backplate and perpendicular to the axis A-1. The hinges 81, 82, 86,87 are of thinner cross section than the remainder of the backplate toenhance their flexibility. With this construction, the central portion25a is connected to the peripheral portion 25b only by the four hinges80, 81, 86, 87 on mutually perpendicular axes.

Two studs 90, 91 (FIGS. 16 and 17) extend from the inner central portion25a rearwardly from the backplate, and when the backplate is assembledto the casing 28, the studs are received in two apertures 93, 94 (FIG.17) of the casing. Preferably each stud 90, 91 includes a taperedportion 90a, 91a that cooperates with an internal rim 93a, 94a of eachaperture so that the studs can be readily inserted, will be retainedduring use, but can be removed without disassembly of the casing forreplacement.

The vibration dampers 38 are in the form of projecting fingers securedto a marginal portion of the back surface 72 of the backplate, thatextend into frictional engagement with the surrounding housing 22 andwhich slide relative to the housing as the mirror is moved inadjustment. The peripheral contact between the mirror and housing servesto damp vibrations of the mirror that would otherwise be present due tothe central support of the mirror. One preferred embodiment of thedampers 38 is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings. Each damper is aspring metal wire 96 in the form of a torsion spring held to the backsurface of the backplate by a tab 97 at the margin of the plate. Oneportion 96a of the wire 96 extends rearwardly of the back surface of thebackplate to contact the surrounding housing 22 on an inside surface.The portion 96a extends substantially straight back, i.e., asperpendicular to the plane of the mirror as possible, but with a slightoutward extent to bridge the clearance gap between the mirror and thehousing. A part of the spring metal wire 96b extends along the backsurface of the backplate parallel to the adjacent backplate edge andserves as the torsion spring portion. An end portion 96c also extendsalong the back surface of the backplate transversely of the portion 96b,preventing rotation of the portions 96a, 96b relative to the backplate.The torsion portion 96b biases the extending portion 96a into frictionalcontact with the inside surface of the housing 22. The distal end of theportion 96a is curved to provide a smooth surface for sliding in thedirections of mirror movement. As a result of this construction, thespring action of the dampers is only perpendicular to the direction ofrelative sliding movement. Thus, vibration movement of the mirror isrigidly resisted through the dampers and their frictional contact withthe housing, rather than through any spring action which would be lessefficient in damping vibration. As a result, the dampers are effectivein eliminating the relative vibrational movement in directionstransverse to the plane of the mirror surface, which cause "nervousimage". In the embodiment shown, the vibration dampers or wires 96 areat three spaced locations about the periphery of the backplate, spacedapproximately 90° from each other considered angularly with respect tothe center of the mirror. If desired, additional dampers could beprovided.

In another embodiment, shown in FIG. 10, the dampers 38 are in the formof plastic tabs 98 hinged to the back surface of the backplate andbiased outwardly by separate metal springs 99. Where the backplatematerial does not have the desired frictional characteristics to providerelatively smooth sliding yet adequate frictional resistance, the tabsmay be of a different material from the backplate and adhesively orthermoplastically bonded to the backplate. In addition, rather thanindividual tabs, a continuous peripheral skirt could be provided on thebackplate.

The two adjusting members 35, 36 are essentially the same inconstruction but are located in different positions. Accordingly, onlythe screw 35 and its mounting structure will be described in detail. Abase support structure 102 for the adjusting screw 35, integral with thebackplate, is shown in FIGS. 16 and 20 of the drawings. This basesupport structure consists of a cantilevered arm 104 projecting into anopening 105 in the backplate. The opening provides sufficient spacearound the cantilevered arm and base of the screw for relative movementof the screw in directions within the plane of the backplate. Thecantilevered arm 104 is thick in the direction of the backplatethickness and is narrow in width. As a result, the arm substantiallyresists movement out of the plane of the backplate, i.e., in a directionaxially of the screw, but will twist about its own longitudinal axis A-3and facilitates lateral swinging of the arm about an axis A-4 at thebase of the arm. One end of the screw 35 is attached at one side by athin hinge portion 107 that permits the screw to pivot relative to thearm 104 about an axis A-5 that is tangent to the screw and transverse tothe arm, and which is in the plane of the backplate. As shown by thearrows in FIG. 20, this construction permits universal pivoting of theadjusting screw at the base, as well as swinging of the base to shiftthe axis of the screw transversely, keeping the base within the plane ofthe backplate, so that the screw can remain a constant distance from thepivot axis of the mirror as the mirror and backplate pivot. As a result,when the mirror pivots, the base of the screw will move relative to thebackplate to keep the screw in line with the drive nut axis. Since thedrive nut axis does not move, this adjustment of the screw baseeliminates the forces that would otherwise be created by nonalignmentand assures a smoother and quieter operation.

MOTOR AND WORM DRIVE

As best illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 18, the motor 30 is secured in astationary position within the casing 28 and is surrounded by acushioning material, for example, a foamed strip 110 wrapped around themotor and adhesively adhered to inhibit motor vibrations from beingtransmitted to the casing and housing. When the two halves 28a, 28b ofthe casing are joined, the motor is tightly held in a stationaryposition within the casing. Electrical leads 112 to the motor extendthrough the casing for connection to a source of electrical energy. Theshaft 114 (FIGS. 5 and 8) of the motor extends within the casing towardthe nuts 46, 47.

The drive worm 44 is secured to and extends from the motor shaft 114,between the drive nuts 46, 47, which are rotatable about axes transverseto and offset on opposite sides from the axis of the worm. The nuts 46,47 have worm wheel teeth 116, 117 in a common plane with the worm axis.The peripheries formed by the teeth of the two nuts are spaced apart adistance greater than the outside diameter of the worm 44 so thatmovement of the worm in the common plane of the worm wheel teeth canselectively engage the worm with one or the other of the nuts.

The worm, as best shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, fits partially over the motorshaft 114 with a friction fit, is universally pivotable relative to theshaft, and is of a unitary construction that minimizes the combinedaxial length of the worm and shaft for compactness, and that is capableof being injection molded. By the incorporation of a universal pivotinto the worm construction, selective engagement of the worm with one orthe other of the nuts is facilitated without movement of the motor 30.

The worm 44 includes a first portion 120 for attachment to the motorshaft 114, a second portion 122 for engagement with the nuts 46, 47, anda third portion 124 that interconnects the first and second portions forrelative pivoting.

The first portion 120 is comprised of a tubular body 126 with acylindrical central opening 127, a flange 128 at the outer end of thebody, and a tapered outer surface 129 that diminishes the outsidediameter of the body in a direction from the flange toward the secondportion of the worm. At least a part of the tubular body 126 is receivedwithin the second portion 122 with a surrounding clearance.

The second portion 122 is a cylindrical tube connected at one end 132with the first portion and with an external worm thread or helix 134adjacent a distal end 135. A central opening 136 through the secondportion receives the tubular body 126 at the end 132 and facilitatesinterconnection with the control member 49 at the end 135.

The third portion 124 of the worm is comprised of a ring 138 and fourconnecting fingers 140-143 joining the ring to the first and secondportions. The ring is located between the end 132 of the second portionand the flange 128 of the first portion, is axially spaced from each andencircles the tubular body portion 126. The inside and outside diametersof the ring correspond with those of the tubular second portion. Two ofthe connecting fingers 140, 141 extend axially of the worm between thering 124 and the flange 120, at diametrically opposite locations. Theother two fingers 142, 143 extend between the ring 138 and the end 132of the second portion 122, at diametrically opposite locations displaced90° about the ring from the fingers 140, 141. The ring 138 is flexiblebetween the fingers 140-143, providing a universal pivoting actionbetween the first and second portions, in the plane of the ring. Theouter tapered surface 129 of the first portion 120 provides clearancebetween the first and second portions to facilitate a desired degree ofrelative pivoting without interference.

The worm 44 constructed as desired is preferably fabricated from asynthetic resin that can be economically injection molded and which hasinherent resilience and flexibility that permits the first portion 120to be forced onto the drive shaft of the motor with a tight friction fitto transmit rotation and which permits the desired flexibility of thering 138 for the pivoting of the second portion relative to the first.By telescoping the ring 138 and second portion 122 about the firstportion 120, the overall length of the worm 44 is substantially reduced,moving the pivot point to a location about the drive shaft of the motor,rather than beyond the drive shaft.

Control of the position and movement of the drive worm 44 is achievedthrough box- or frame-like control member 49 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. Thecontrol member is pivotally supported by the casing 28 about an axis A-6transverse to the worm 44 and intersecting the ring 138. Energization ofthe solenoid 31 moves the control member to shift the worm from one nut46, 47 to the other and limits engagement of the worm with a nut to theproper tooth depth.

The control member 49 is comprised of a pivoted arm 148 with an aperture149 through which the worm 44 extends. Two stud shafts 151, 152 extendfrom the arm 148 on opposite sides of the aperture 146, on an axis thatbisects the aperture, and are received in apertures in opposite halves28a, 28b of the casing, to locate the control member in a position shownin FIG. 5, i.e., with the axis of the stud shafts intersecting thelongitudinal axis of the worm 44 at the universal connection formed bythe ring 138. A portion 148a of the arm 148 most remote from the studshafts 151, 152 is secured to a plunger 154 of the solenoid 31.

A housing 156 extends outward from the plane of the arm 148 and supportsa cylindrical bearing boss 157 in axial alignment with the center of theaperture 149, in a position to be received within the central opening136 at the end 135 of the worm. Pivoting of the arm 148 about the studshafts 151, 152 will then cause the bearing boss 157 to swing the wormabout its universal pivot. The bearing boss also keeps the worm fromflexing about the pivot in a direction away from a nut when it is forcedinto a driving relationship. The housing 156 has two walls 158, 159 toone side of the bearing boss 157 in a plane transverse to the pivot axisA-6 of the two stud shafts. The walls are located and spaced to actagainst obstructions, such as a cylindrical portion of the drive nuts,when the control member is pivoted, and thereby serve to accuratelylimit the extent to which the control member and worm may be pivoted bythe solenoid 31. This limits the depth to which the worm helix canengage the worm wheel teeth. The worm is moved to one of two positionsby the control member when the plunger is withdrawn by energization ofthe solenoid and to the other position when the solenoid plunger isextended by a compression spring 161 in the absence of energization. Inone position the worm engages the nut 46 and in the other position itengages the nut 47.

DRIVE NUTS

The worm driven nuts 46, 47 interconnect the worm 44 with the adjustingscrews 35, 36 to move the screws relative to the casing 28 and fixedpivot of the mirror backing, thereby tilting the mirror to a desiredinclination. The drive nuts are constructed to permit slippage betweenthe screws and nuts when forces are created therebetween that aregreater than the normal driving forces. As a result, the nuts can berotated or the screws can be moved axially without the correspondingmovement of the other, thereby avoiding damage of the motor or drivetrain when the limits of mirror travel are reached or if the movement ofthe mirror is obstructed, or if the mirror is pivoted from an externallyapplied force. Each nut 46, 47 is identically constructed and only thenut 46 will be described in detail.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 11, the nut 46 has a generally cylindrical bodyportion 165, a larger diameter worm wheel portion 166 in which the teeth116 are formed, a journal portion 167 at one end and a recess 168 at theother end. The journal portion and recess support the nut for rotationin the casing 28, as shown in FIG. 11. The journal portion 167 isreceived in the opening 52 and the recess 168 receives the boss 56 ofthe casing. A bearing washer 171 and a thrust washer 172 are received inthe recess 168, acting between the boss 56 and an end wall 174 of therecess 168. As best shown in FIG. 5, the cylindrical body portion 165serves as an abutment for the adjacent side wall 158 of the controlmember 49 to limit the extent of its pivotal movement. Thus thecylindrical portion controls, through the member 49, the depth ofengagement of the thread 134 with the teeth 116 of the nut. A centralpassage 176 extends axially through the nut for receiving the associatedadjusting screw 35. Axial surface portions 177 (three in the preferredembodiment) at equally spaced locations circumferentially about theaperture engage the crests of the screw threads, thereby maintaining thenut and lead screw coaxial. The surface portions 177 are located betweenaxially extending cavities 179 equiangularly spaced about the centralaxis and which open into the central passage 176.

The three cavities 179 carry yieldable thread engaging parts, oneembodiment of which is indicated at 181 in FIG. 11 and a secondembodiment of which is shown at 182 in FIG. 15. These parts 181 or 182provide driving interengagement between the nut body and adjustingscrew, but yield if a force substantially greater than that normallyexperienced during driving is applied. As a result, rotation of the nutcan occur without axial movement of the screw, or axial movement of thescrew can occur without rotation of the nut. Thus, under normal loadconditions, when the worm thread 134 is engaged with the teeth 116 androtated, the nut is rotated, driving the adjusting screw within thecentral passage 176 in an axial direction, through the thread engagingparts 181 or 182. Under greater than normal load conditions, slippagewill occur.

With reference first to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 11-14, the threadengaging parts 181 constitute a thread insert 186 in each cavity 179.Each thread insert is identical, has a number of partial threads 187,for example, three, and is suitably formed of plastic, as by injectionmolding. The length of all thread inserts 186 is the same and less thenthe length of the receiving cavities 179, all of which are of equallength. The cavities terminate in coplanar end walls 188 at one end andat the washer 171 at the other end. The length of the inserts isselected to provide an end clearance within the cavities that is lessthan the pitch of the adjusting screw thread (i.e., less than the axialdistance between successive crests of the thread) by an amount thatprevents two of the inserts from adjusting sufficiently in the axialdirection to fully engage the thread portions 187 with the screw thread.The height of the inserts 186, i.e., the dimension in the direction ofthe radial depth of the receiving cavity 179, is less than the depth ofthe cavity by at least the height of the thread parts on the insert.Each insert is individually biased in a direction toward the centralpassage by a spring 189 located within each cavity. The spring isconstructed to allow longitudinal movement of the insert while biasingthe insert centrally of the passage 176. In the preferred embodiment acoil spring is used located with respect to the insert by a boss 190 onthe back surface of the insert.

By virtue of the three angularly displaced positions of the cavities 179and the limited clearance for endwise or axial movement of the inserts,the threads of all three inserts cannot fully engage the threads of theadjusting screw. Rather, when two of the inserts are located againstopposite ends of their respective cavities, the teeth will not fullyengage the thread of the adjusting screw, while the third insert will,because its cavity will be at a location axially positioned relative tothe threads of screw 35 or 36 for the thread portions of the insert tofully mesh. FIGS. 12-14 show this relationship, with one insert againstthe washer 171, another centrally located within the axial extent of thecavity, and the third abutting the end wall 188 of the cavity. The twoinserts engaging the ends of the cavities have not been able to moveaxially a sufficient distance to fully mesh with the thread of the screwand have therefore been cammed away from the screw into the cavityagainst the force of the springs 89.

As a result of two of the inserts being located at opposite ends of thecavities of the nut and biased by the springs against the thread of thelead screw, so each tends to wedge the screw in opposite directions,axial play between the lead screw and nut, otherwise inherent in aclearance fit, is minimized. Furhter, the thrust washer 172 biases thenut in one direction, against the casing, eliminating any axial playbetween the screw and casing due to a clearance between the nut andsupporting portions of the casing. This makes possible a more accuratemirror adjustment without the slight vibration that otherwise couldexist in the absence of a positive relationship between the fixed mountand the adjusting screws.

It will be appreciated that as long as the adjusting screw is driven bythe nut, the relationship of the three inserts will remain the same withrespect to their cavities and the screw. Upon the screw reaching the endof its possible travel, further rotation of the nut will cause theinserts to travel axially within the cavities and to be cammed outwardlyof the central cavity so as to jump over the threads rather thanstopping rotation of the nut. Similarly, if the adjusting screw isforced axially without rotation of the nut, all inserts will be movedtoward one end of the respective recess and the threads on the screwwill cam the inserts outwardly from the central axis and so the screwcan move past.

With reference to the embodiment of FIG. 15, each cavity 179 contains aninsert 182 in the form of bristles or fur, for example, nylon bristles192 projecting in a generally aligned fashion from a base 194, thatextend radially inward into the central passage, into engagement withthe adjusting screw. The bristles are deformable, yet stiff enough totransmit axial thrust in response to relative rotation between the nutand screw. The resiliency of the bristles limits the amount of thrustthat can be transmitted by rotating the nut and, conversely, will resistonly a limited axial thrust applied to the screw. This permits relativeslippage between the nut and adjusting screws under forces greater thannormal drive forces. The inserts 182 have the advantage of low cost andconvenient assembly, but are not as effective as the inserts previouslydescribed in eliminating axial play between the nut and screw. Inaddition, moisture affects certain materials utilized as the bristles.

ELECTRIC CONTROL

Electric motor 30 is a reversible DC motor connected to a source ofdirect current through a switch 196 shown diagrammatically in FIG. 19.The switch 196 also controls the solenoid 31. A preferable switch is onein which a single actuator can be moved in four directions to differentportions, two of which operate the motor in a forward direction and twoin a reverse direction. In one of the two positions that operate themotor forward and one of the two positions that operate the motor inreverse, the solenoid in energized by the switch. With this arrangement,the worm 44 can be selectively driven in one of two directions andengaged with one of two drive nuts to selectively tilt the mirror in twodirections about two mutually perpendicular axes. A suitable switch iscommercially available through the McGill Manufacturing Company, Inc.,Valpariaso, Indiana.

As shown diagrammatically in FIG. 19, an operating element 198 ismovable by hand from a central off position shown, in four differentdirections, to the right or left, and forward or back, in theorientation of FIG. 19. Three contacts 201, 202 and 203 are carried bythe lever for concurrent movement. A positive terminal 205 and anegative terminal 206 cooperate with the two contacts 201, 202. Acontact 208 cooperates with the contact 203. Each of the contacts 201,202 is connected to the windings of the motor 30. The positive andnegative terminals 205, 206 are preferably provided on a printed circuitboard and are configured so that movement of the contacts 201, 202either to the right or forward in the orientation shown will connect thecontact 202 to the positive terminal and the contact 201 to the negativeterminal to drive the motor in one direction. Movement of the contacts201, 202 either to the left or back, will connect the terminal 202 tothe negative terminal and the contact 201 to the positive terminal,driving the motor in the opposite direction.

The contact 203 is electrically connected to the positive terminal 205and a printed circuit contact 208 is electrically connected to the coilof the solenoid 31. The contact 208 is shaped so that movement of theactuator 198 to the right and left fails to connect the positive movablecontact 203 with the connector contact 208, but movement of the leverarm forward and back does. Thus, when the lever is moved forward orback, the solenoid 31 is energized, changing the engagement of the wormfrom the drive nut 46 to the drive nut 47. It will be apparent then thatwhen the switch is moved forward or back to move the mirror about thehorizontal axis, the solenoid 31 is energized and the worm is engagedwith the nut 47, driving it selectively in one direction or another.When the lever arm is moved to the left or right, the solenoid is notenergized and the worm is spring biased into engagement with the nut 46,selectively driving it in one of two directions, to pivot the mirrorabout the vertical axis.

SUMMARY OF OPERATION

While it is believed that the operation of the assembly will be clearfrom the foregoing description, for convenience, it will be summarizedhere.

The mirror element 24 is supported for pivoting about a fixed locationrelative to the casing 28 and housing 22 at the center of the mirror,through a flexible portion of the backplate 25. The flexible connectionis such that universal pivoting is permitted by virtue of flexibleportions of the plate that define mutually perpendicular horizontal andvertical pivot axes. The mirror backplate and mirror element are heldagainst unwanted movement by the two adjusting screws 35, 36 whichextend rearwardly from the backplate and into engagement with the drivenuts, which are held in a fixed position. The mirror is damped againstvibration by the dampers 38 that are slidable relative to the housing 22when the mirror is pivoted.

To change the angle of the mirror, the operating element 198 of thecontrol switch is moved in one of four directions to pivot the mirror inone of two directions about either a horizontal or a vertical axis.Because the screws 35, 36 are each on one of the pivot axes, adjustmentof only the screw that is offset from the pivot axis about whichmovement is desired is sufficient. To adjust the mirror about thevertical axis, the motor 30 is energized in one of two directions todrive the worm 44, which in turn drives the nut 46 in one of twodirections to move the adjusting screw axially inward or outward fromthe housing, thereby tilting the mirror about the vertical axis A-2.

To tilt the mirror about the horizontal axis A-1, the solenoid 31 isenergized to bring the worm 44 into engagement with the drive nut 47,and the motor is driven in one of two directions, to move the adjustingscrew associated with the nut 47 in or out relative to the fixedhousing.

In either direction of drive, the worm is pivoted about the integraluniversal pivot joint to one side or the other of the axis of the motorshaft, while the motor remains stationary.

Because the extent to which the worm 44 engages either nut 46, 47 islimited by the control member 49, little or no rubbing occurs betweenthe crest of the worm helix and the root of the worm wheel. In addition,there is no tendency of the worm to vibrate as it rotates, as it mightif fully engaged, due to any slight eccentricity or lack of roundness ofthe worm thread. Further, vibration of the electric motor is damped bythe surrounding foam strip 110. The operation is quiet.

In the event the mirror is driven to the end of its available travel,and rotation of the drive nut is continued, slippage will occur betweenthe drive nut and adjusting screw by virtue of the yieldable threadengaging parts 181.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described indetail and certain modifications disclosed and suggested, it will beapparent to those skilled in the art that various other modifications oralterations may be made therein without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:
 1. A drive nut for use with a screw, comprising a body with acentral passage in which a screw is receivable, axially extendingcavities of the body that open into the passage, means carried by saidbody in the cavities to act against external threads of a screw in saidcentral passage to drivingly interconnect the body with a screw so thatrelative rotation between the screw and body will move one relative tothe other in a direction axially of the screw, said means being movablefrom a position at least partially within said passage in engagementwith the threads of a screw to a position radially outwardly therefromout of engagement with the threads in response to relative axialmovement between the two without relative rotation or in response torelative rotation between the two without relative axial movement, saidmeans including at least two peripherally displaced members with partialthreads, each carried in one of said axially extending cavities, andspring means yieldably resisting movement of the members radiallyoutward of the central passage; each threaded member being of an axiallength less than that of the cavities by an amount less than the pitchof the screw to be used, each member being movable axially and radiallywithin the cavity, and the peripheral location of the members beingcorrelated with the axial limits of the respective cavity so that thetwo inserts abut opposite ends of the respective cavities whenthreadedly engaged with the screw.
 2. A drive nut as set forth in claim1 wherein non-resilient portions of said body locate a screwconcentrically with the central passage.
 3. A drive nut as set forth inclaim 1 wherein said nut is rotatable and includes a worm gear-formingportion abut a portion of its outer periphery.
 4. A rotatable drive nutfor use with a longitudinally movable screw, comprising a body with anouter peripheral surface adapted to engage a drive member and a centralpassage in which a screw can move axially, means carried by said body ina position to act against external threads of a screw in said centralpassage to drive said screw axially of said passage in response torotation of said nut, said means being movable in a directiontransversely of said axial direction in response to relative axialmovement between the two without relative rotation or in response torelative rotation between the two without relative axial movement andcomprising at least two peripherally displaced members each carried inan axially extending cavity of the body that opens into the passage, andspring means yieldably resisting movement of the members radiallyoutward of the central passage; each threaded member being of an axiallength less than that of the cavities by an amount less than the pitchof the screw to be used, each threaded member being movable axially andradiallly within the cavity, and the peripheral location of the membersbeing correlated with the axial limits of the respective cavity so thatmembers abut opposite ends of the respective cavities when threadedlyengaged with the screw.
 5. A rotatable drive nut as set forth in claim 4wherein said outer peripheral surface includes a worm gear-formingportion.
 6. In combination, a threaded member and a thread engagingmember, said thread engaging member comprising a body with cavities thatopen in opposed relationship to threads of the threaded member, meanscarried by said body in the cavities to act against said threads todrivingly interconnect the two members so that relative rotation willmove one in a direction axially of said threads, said means beingmovable from a position in engagement with the threads to a positionradially out of engagement with the threads in response to relativeaxial movement between the two members without relative rotation or inresponse to relative rotation between the two members without relativeaxial movement, said means including at least two peripherally displacedelements with rigid thread-engaging portions each carried in one of saidcavities, and spring means yieldably resisting movement of the elementsradially out of engagement with the threads.
 7. The combination as setforth in claim 6 wherein each said element in movable in the respectivecavity in a direction axially of the threaded member and is of a lengthin said movable direction that is less than the length of the cavity byan amount less than that of the pitch of the thread of the threadedmember and wherein the peripheral location of each element is correlatedwith the cavity length so that two inserts abut opposite ends of therespective cavities when engaged with the thread.